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By Ia Kverghelidze

When gazed upon from afar, the sharp-peaked mountains of the country of Georgia are soaring and grand. Unseen within their rocky confines, however, lie isolated and amazing sights inaccessible to most outsiders. Located at the Western Asian / Eastern European frontier and bordered by the Black Sea, Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, little-known Georgia is the site of the truly off-the-beaten-path mountainous regions of Svaneti and Tusheti, two raw, entrancing and rough-and-tumble provinces of well-established age-old traditions that give real meaning to hospitality.

This is a two-part article. Part one presented the unique qualities of Svaneti, while part two, below, details the wonders of Tusheti.

In the traditional Tushetian game of ‘Distance Jumping’, people jump over a felt cloak.
Jump the farthest and the cloak is your prize.

A Remote Region of Warm People

Spread between 1,700 and 2,400 metres of altitude, Tusheti is considered the most remote area of Georgia. Unlike Svaneti – another historic region characterised by towers – Tusheti is of such pristine and endemic nature that it is one of the Protected Areas of Georgia and inhabited only during the summer.

Cultural heritage runs deep here, the roots felt when communicating with locals and taking part in their festivals and traditional practices. One of the major annual events is the end-of-September cattle drive from Tusheti to the lowlands of the Kakheti Region. Enjoy a unique opportunity to join the shepherds and listen to their stories while sharing a meal by the fire at night.

Tushetian people have also preserved many ancient games like ‘Bow and Arrow’, ‘Distance Jumping’, ‘Playing with the Ball’, ‘Pushing’, the aims of which were to develop flexibility, strength, dexterity and speed in youth. The time-honoured names of these games are so old that non-Tushetian Georgians have a hard time remembering them.

In Tusheti, unlike Svaneti, the polyphonic songs are performed mainly by women.

The Sun Rises When a Guest Comes

Tushetian hospitality is taken seriously, as revealed by phrases like ‘the sun rises when a guest comes; a cloud appears when the guest leaves’. Tushetians are genuinely ready to welcome guests with the best food they have, entertain them by teaching their games and even reward them with prizes if they win. The pleasure of being a guest at a Tushetian table is both memorable and utterly unique: Tushetian people brew their own beer, called aludi, make their own khachapuri, called kotori (wheat bread filled with mixture of curds and boiled butter), and prepare their own Gouda cheese (made from sheep’s milk).

Folk arts, crafts and practices are also alive and well in Tusheti. Women are famous for their artisanal work, like traditional knitted products that use natural material and colours. The practice of making thick felt is also preserved. Similar to Svan songs, Tushetian music is polyphonic, although performed mainly by women and accompanied by accordion and Georgian panduri.

The Keselo Fortress in Upper Omalo provides a glimpse of the Tushetian lifestyle in the 17th century.

Tushetian towers are wider than the Svanetian ones and built for habitation. Today most of them are locked and unoccupied, most people having moved to two-storey wooden houses. They are however sights to behold in villages like Dartlo, Shenako and Diklo. Their stern and strict appearance makes them seem like night watchers, sentinels protecting the local landscape. One tower-ringed fortress museum near Keselo Fortress casts excellent light on the way Tushetian people used to live.

An exploration of remote Tusheti, with its lone towers and hospitable locals, really puts you in touch with the local community and nature. For the adventurous, another factor to keep in mind is that a getaway to the Tushetian Mountains is best done on horseback. Start in the village Omalo and then head off in the saddle to breathtaking views and unforgettable local hospitality – local meals, Tusheti guesthouses and homestays, and other elements of this land where time has stood still.

Ia Kverghelidze is the whl.travel local connection in Georgia, where Ia and her team at Adventure Club Jomardi connect travellers to authentic experiences throughout the country. For travel information, or to book Georgia hotels or Georgia tours, contact Ia and her team!